This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: FUQUA, STEELE, CARTER, VANDERVILLE, BLAIR, EARHEART, SHANE Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/wYX.2ACEB/395.399.416.418.1.1.1 Message Board Post: I am descended from Archibald Buchanan Steele, son of Andrew Steele and Martha Buchanan, b. Augusta Co., VA; Andrew and Martha died in Davidson Co., TN. Archibald moved to Mississippi before 1816. There are five of us researching Archibald, and we knew he had been married before and had a son, Harper Buchanan Steele, born in TN. Before I found the following letter, none of us had been aware of any daughters. You can imagine our surprise at discovering that he had in addition to Harper, a daughter named Anna and one named Susan. The letter will explain more. Anna must have married a BRYANT before she married John Vanderville (the letter says Vandever), but everything else about her checks out. Anna and Susan were alive when their uncle, Samuel Steele, wrote the letter from Stone's River, TN. Please let me know what you think. Archibald's grandparents were Agnes Bowen McFerrin and Archibald Buchanan, who settled in the Clover Bottom area of Nashville. Agnes was the daughter of John Bowen and Lily McIlhaney of Augusta Co., VA. LETTER FROM SAMUEL STEELE TO ARCHIBALD BUCHANAN STEELE DATED APRIL 22nd , 1853 STONES RIVER (TN) POSTMARKED NASHVILLE, TN, APR 30 5(?) ADDRESSED TO MR. A. B. STEELE ZION HILL P.O. AMITE COUNTY MISSISSIPPI TRANSCRIBED FROM COPY OF MICROFILM BY MILDRED BRADY VENITUCCI MICROFILM COPY PREPARED BY PHOTODUPLICATIONS DEPARTMENT LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY FEBRUARY, 1972 All the words on the following pages appear on the handwritten document. I have added punctuation for clarity in some instances. When you receive your copy of the original, please study it and correct it if you think it needs it. Mildred B. Venitucci, September 7, 2002 Direct your letters to Stewarts ferry P.O. Stones River April 22 1853 I received your letter this day 22 of April – Which gave me great satisfaction to hear of you from your own pen that you are yet living. Our friends has been taken from us. Let us submit God is two wise to err and too good to do wrong, perhaps our loss is there gain – I am glad to hear of you and your family being in common health Still. I am not well nor never expect to be in this life. You wished to no how many of Our Brothers and Sisters living. John is living on the Caney Fork, is married again, one child. Andrew was living last account in the state of Illinois. Beca last account lived in Misuri state – there was 11 of us children – 3 is all I no of Beside you and myself. I heard from John not long since. Rebeca and Andrew I have not heard from in years – they may be dead – John Castleman is living at same place – he is very hard of hearing – Jacob Earheart has moved to Illinois State. More sikneys ! (sickness) in this neighborhood than ever known, some say for ten, some say for fifteen year all put together. First death at my home my wife and her sister Rebeca said to be Cholera – fever and flu (?) was most fatal. In three months it was thought there were over fifty deaths – it was a distressing time. Son James Steele died at Orelans in 1849. I was security for him buying cedar and nearly broke me up – Still I have a plenty left with Care to do me my lifetime. My wish is to come and see you before I die, but is this using care – to take a cabin passage and then a stage from Natchez to your house – I said with CARE I had enough. You stated you wished to no something concerning your children. They are both living and each of them has grandchildren. John Vandever is dead and Anna married again to a man named Carter – a widower – he was a son-in-law to old John Blair – they are doing well—has several negroes and a home of their own. As for Susan and Tommy Fuqua (or Ferguson?), Tommy is still trying to preach. They are both trying to serve God and get to Heaven. As for this worlds’ goods they have plenty – a home of their own and several negroes. They both have children well thought of and the most of them that’s grown profess Religion. Susan’s all Baptist and Anna’s all Methodist – the most difference now is one wants a little more water than the other but its not all the water in the ocean can wash the Dismal Stain away – ye must Be Born Again- I must state that Jacob Earheart professed Religion since he move! d to the Illinois – you stated you wished to no how much Scrip (?) I received – 160 acre Land Warrant – I sent on two Discharges – one for Six Month the other for three months – the three months the time we went to Natchez. I also sent an account of three month in Hammonds Company without a Discharge. In sending my warrant they took no account of the three months trip to Natchez, the reason was as I understand, the office in 1813 or 14 was burnt up. They at the War Department certainly no that in 1803 Col. Dorerty’s Regiment of Mounted Volunteers went from Tennessee for New Orleans – if your own oaths won’t prove a scrip or land warrant I think it a doutfull case at this time. I no no one that could make an accurate statement at this time. If you only served three months it only would bring you 40 acres. I could as well as I can recollect make this statement: you served three months in Captain Thomas Williamson Company as a private in Col. Dorertys Regiment of Mounted Militia from East Tennessee. Brother, grant me in your next letter one request: from your statements I cannot tell whether you have passed from Death unto Life. Do let me no (plainly?) if you have been born again of the spirit, if you no the time and place where you received that Faith that works by love and purifies the heart, and if you could – with Old David – say My sins are Separated from me as far as the East from the West and that the love of God is Shead Abroad in my heart by the Holy ghost given unto me. We may have but little of this world’s goods and say its enough if we can but get to heaven. We may have good desires and a hope of getting to heaven when we die—may work and pray and honestly live a Moral life and without faith its impossible to please God. We must have a living faith. Ye must be born again – Brother, if you got Religion, I expect to meet you in Heaven. I have been saying this to myself – If my brother has got religion all ! is well if he keeps it – if he has not and my goin to see him would be a means in the hand of God of his Conversion here am I. Lord, open the way and send me. Its possible for us to have Every Doubt removed and see our way clear to heaven—give my respects to your family and accepting of my sincere wish for your Safe Arival in Heaven. If you have an old Methodist near you, read this letter to him. I remain your Brother Unto Death, Samuel Steele To A. B. Steele